(CNN) More than 600 cities, counties and Native American tribes from 28 states have filed a federal lawsuit against eight members of the Sackler family -- owners of the pharmaceutical giant Purdue Pharma LP -- accusing them of creating the opioid addiction crisis through ownership of the company that manufactures the painkiller OxyContin. Like other suits that have been filed, this one alleges the Sackler family made a fortune by using deceptive marketing to sell addictive and potentially deadly painkillers. "Eight people in a single family made the choices that caused much of the opioid epidemic," the suit says, then naming the eight defendants. "Because they controlled their own privately held drug company, the Sackler Defendants had the power to decide how addictive narcotics were sold. The suits seeks a number of actions, including having the Sacklers issue "corrective advertising statements" in national and regional publications, medical journals, television shows and websites.

Source: CNN March 24, 2019 04:11 UTC